Mesa Boogie Blue Angel 1x12 Combo

You really can't dial in a bad tone from this amp. Like most Mesa Boogies these amps are made with high quality standards and are built like tanks. This amp is tailored towards the Fender side of musical guitar amps. The tone is still Mesa Boogie and you can hear and feel that, but this is no Rectifier at all. The distortion is pretty mild in comparison to a Dual Recto. You get get some singing lead line as you would a nice Recto amp, but the smooth character of this amp is certainly geared towards the Fender blues side of rock music.


UTILIZATION

FEATURES

Handbuilt in the USA
Progressive Linkage™ power section allows you to switch between or combine 2x6V6 & 4xEL84 for 15, 33, or 38 Watts, of Pure Class A Power / 5x12AX7, 1x5AR4
Two Inputs (1=Normal, 2=Low)
Bright/Fat Switch
Spring Reverb
Parallel FX Loop
w/Mix Level Control
Slave Out w/Level Control
Fan Cooled
Slip Cover
1x12 Combo • Celestion Custom 90 Speakers



SOUNDS

I really cannot get over the amazing tone this amp has. I am a Mesa Boogie fanboy, but this really is a spectacular amp. I find actually that I lean towards a Gibson Les Paul with all or most Mesa Boogie amps, but on this amp I go for the Fender Stratocaster. The tone from a single coil just matches perfectly with the voicing of this amp.

Don't get me wrong a Gibson Les Paul or SG will sound amazing as well, but there is just something that clicks when you bust out the Strat with this amp. I know that is what Mesa Boogie was going for when designing this amp and they couldn't have done it any better. They have a tendency to do that with their R&D. They over design the amp to fit everything you could want or even dream of needing.

OVERALL OPINION

Mesa Boogie should have kept the amp in production since this was a great sounding unit. I know they have been pushing other classic Fender style amps lately, but this was a winner in my book.

You cannot buy these new anymore so the used market is the only way to go in my opinion. I have seen these amps go for anywhere in between %500 and %700 depending on the shape and desperation of the seller. You would have no problem picking up this great amp if you tried for around $550 in the classifieds section somewhere or another forum.

Amp lamps: Progressive Linkage power section allow you to switch or combine Between 2x6V6 & 4xEL84 for 15, 33, or 38 Watts of pure Class A Power / 5x12AX7, 1x5AR4
In dCode it works like a attnuateur only better!
For Watts: mfiance is pure Class A and it grows stronger, trs fort without losing quality DEFINITIONS to the delight of this amp.
Two entries indpendantes, SETTING THE tone of something and used a reverb rve.

UTILIZATION

Is heated, the industry ....... and sounds like never
rglages are simple because the effective
Lattnuation by DIFFERENT types of lamps is clever even if the volume remains the problem of this type of amp.
APRS that remains is that the volume knob up to understand the magic of the class A
The manual is in English and simple as this amp without taking head

SOUNDS

Start, T Gibson 60's all perfectly sound
A simple Blues Breaker (Marshall) and the big sound is the purity with a spinning you goose bumps playing

OVERALL OPINION

Returned to the family (Music Industry, Vox, Fender) for 4 months this amp has quickly become my favorite.
Even if the list price is still lev there is ample justification.
And when you touch it more then the half price is happiness !!!!!

Specifications are available at Mesa / Boogie (although this amp is no longer manufactured). In summary this is a single channel amp with reverb. The originality of the craft is the ability to choose the power tubes, two 6V6, EL84 four or six at a time. These three options have little impact on the volume itself, they affect the character of the sound.
The wattage is limited to allow the amp cruncher quickly 18W mode 6V6, EL84 mode 33W, and 38W with six lamps at the same time.
The rear panel includes, among other things, an effects loop operating in parallel.
Finally, the amp has a fan, this precaution, a little noisy, annoy those who only play in their room. It is nevertheless an excellent initiative, totally inaudible in groups, which will be of great service to the lamps. Owners of amps that use tubes overheated like a tank of gasoline will understand me.

UTILIZATION

The settings for this amp is small but extremely effective, so the manual seems to me, once is not customary, necessary to understand the psychology of the beast.
On the front include: a bright switch / fat, volume, the usual treble, mid, bass, reverb and the button "progressive Linkage" to select the power tubes. As explained in the manual settings volume and equalizer do not work as usual on the amps. The volume knob, for example, can also be seen as a tone control, since beyond a certain level, it gives the sound a distinctly fatter and rock (a bit like Cream and Santana). In contrast, the button "mid", in addition to controlling the level of media turns into gain knob from the third of his race.
It is positively impossible to get a bad sound on this amp: even extreme settings are musical and are even recommended by the manufacturer: famous for its clear "crystal" that so many guitarists seem to find it necessary to put the mids to zero. The adjustments proposed in the manual are quite serviceable and suitable for group play.
To conclude the chapter "Use", insist on an important point: the sound is highly dependent on the volume. This does not mean that we should absolutely not push the amp to ring, but you will never get a clear sound at high volume or low volume distorted sound (unless you use a pedal). In addition, the amp has only one channel, you must make do with only one sound to play everything. We can not yet consider this fact as a defect, it is the philosophy of this amp new vintage: there's a rule that module and then using the volume of his guitar and / or pedals. And it works, the receiver, which operates in class A, being hyper responsive.
But better be warned in an apartment, it will clear sound!
The weight is quite reasonable (less than 30 kg evenly distributed).

SOUNDS

Sound: This is what motivates the purchase of this amp.
This is the most musical amp I have ever heard, one of the few that justify the legend surrounding the lights and class A. Indeed, it is very warm and very sensitive. The amp responds with astonishing fidelity to blow mediator - it will blow the perfect master!
The change of power tubes is not a fussy snobs for subtlety, this really changes the character of the sound: very elegant American and 6V6 (SRV or the Dire Straits first period), the more raucous rock EL84 (with The Rory Gallagher and Led Zep) and particularly successful in combining both types of lamps. This is usually the last option that guitarists prefer: the sound is powerful, warm and defined - the best of both worlds, in short, American and British! Surprising as arpeggios go well, even in full, they would logically turn to mush noise.
As for the grain, this amp reminds me of guitar tracks of "Exile On Main Street" Rolling Stones: the sound is never "smooth" or cold, it keeps forever (even at low volume) something 'catchy, of rough, vintage anything!
The reverb is gorgeous.

OVERALL OPINION

After several months of use, I sold this amp yet full of qualities. The reason is simple: it's an amp purist (and I'm not a purist!). The sounds are great but they are hopelessly vintage.
In the areas jazz, country, blues and rock is the best I've ever heard. But with experience, I would do not have that choice because I need more flexibility. When you play in a group of varieties, the beauty of pure sound is (unfortunately) not a priority. It is better to have sound, certainly less beautiful, but more modern and, above all, programmable.
However, if you play a well defined style, which emphasizes the guitar and you have the freedom to choose your sound, rush!